Ministers letters

uch of the talk this past week has been to do with the development of a vaccine to combat Covid-19; especially the progress being made by scientists at Oxford University. Of course, we cannot get ahead of ourselves. It will be, at best, many months from now before the general public will have access to mass produced vaccination but nevertheless it is good to know that the efforts of those engaged in this work are beginning to bear fruit. They deserve every encouragement we can give them, not least in our prayers, that they would remain committed to the cause however many setbacks they may encounter. And we in turn have to be patient, safe in the knowledge that what can be done is being done, as effectively and efficiently as it can be…

uch of the talk this past week has been to do with the development of a vaccine to combat Covid-19; especially the progress being made by scientists at Oxford University. Of course, we cannot get ahead of ourselves. It will be, at best, many months from now before the general public will have access to mass produced vaccination but nevertheless it is good to know that the efforts of those engaged in this work are beginning to bear fruit. They deserve every encouragement we can give them, not least in our prayers, that they would remain committed to the cause however many setbacks they may encounter. And we in turn have to be patient, safe in the knowledge that what can be done is being done, as effectively and efficiently as it can be…

uch of the talk this past week has been to do with the development of a vaccine to combat Covid-19; especially the progress being made by scientists at Oxford University. Of course, we cannot get ahead of ourselves. It will be, at best, many months from now before the general public will have access to mass produced vaccination but nevertheless it is good to know that the efforts of those engaged in this work are beginning to bear fruit. They deserve every encouragement we can give them, not least in our prayers, that they would remain committed to the cause however many setbacks they may encounter. And we in turn have to be patient, safe in the knowledge that what can be done is being done, as effectively and efficiently as it can be…

uch of the talk this past week has been to do with the development of a vaccine to combat Covid-19; especially the progress being made by scientists at Oxford University. Of course, we cannot get ahead of ourselves. It will be, at best, many months from now before the general public will have access to mass produced vaccination but nevertheless it is good to know that the efforts of those engaged in this work are beginning to bear fruit. They deserve every encouragement we can give them, not least in our prayers, that they would remain committed to the cause however many setbacks they may encounter. And we in turn have to be patient, safe in the knowledge that what can be done is being done, as effectively and efficiently as it can be…

uch of the talk this past week has been to do with the development of a vaccine to combat Covid-19; especially the progress being made by scientists at Oxford University. Of course, we cannot get ahead of ourselves. It will be, at best, many months from now before the general public will have access to mass produced vaccination but nevertheless it is good to know that the efforts of those engaged in this work are beginning to bear fruit. They deserve every encouragement we can give them, not least in our prayers, that they would remain committed to the cause however many setbacks they may encounter. And we in turn have to be patient, safe in the knowledge that what can be done is being done, as effectively and efficiently as it can be…

…Mask wearing is an interesting parable for living. Especially during these strange and uncertain times. My wearing of a mask is of no intrinsic benefit to me. But by wearing a mask it says to others that they can relax in my company, confident – to a degree at least – that because I am wearing a mask, even if I am infected, I will not infect them. It conveys to others the fact that I am sufficiently concerned for their safety and well-being that I will do what is necessary for them to be able to feel safe when they are with me…

We have heard much about the ‘victims’ of Covid-19. Every day we have been reminded of the mounting death toll. And rightly so. But only now we are beginning to appreciate the wider and deeper impact of the pandemic. Just as each day we are told how many people have died during the previous 24 hours, not a day passes without us hearing of yet many more job losses;

There is a verse in the Book of Proverbs which reads, ‘where there is no focus, the people cast off restraint’ (Prov. 27, 18). It is strange how Bible verses have that uncanny ability to speak directly into a particular situation far removed from when they were first written down. During recent weeks we have seen so many people responding with reckless abandon to the easing of Lockdown; losing focus, casting off restraint.

…Closer to home, it is good that we have been opened the Free Church for private prayer on Tuesdays & Thursdays, 10am – 12noon, and Sundays, 2.30pm – 4.30pm. To have people enter the building and make use of it has been a great encouragement. Today, 23rd June, Govt has indicated that from 4th July it may be possible to hold worship services – no more than 30 people, restricted in content and delivery – we do not want to rush into anything without making the proper assessments of risk etc but I am hopeful that it will not be too long before we are able to worship together once again. Please, be patient for just a little longer…

But, one change that has been implemented in the decision to allow church buildings in England to open for personal, private prayer. I am grateful to the Trustees and to the Church Officers for their input in deciding how best to respond to this initiative. It has been decided that the Free Church will be open for this purpose as follows, starting this coming Sunday, June 21nd…